# Primary Sources on Copyright - Record Viewer
William Seres' Printing Patent, Westminster (1553)

Source: Photographed by the National Editor at the National Archives: c.66/853

Citation:
William Seres' Printing Patent, Westminster (1553), Primary Sources on Copyright (1450-1900), eds L. Bently & M. Kretschmer, www.copyrighthistory.org

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Edward the sixt &c To all prynters stacyoners and boke sellers and to all other our Offycers and subiectes
thies our l[ett]res heryng or seynge gretyng. We doo you to vnderstande by cause it is requysyte to haue some
forme of daylye prayers to be vsed aswell by chyldren as others pryuatlye Whiche cannot so conuenyenlye
use the hole order prescrybed in our boke of common prayers to the whyche is euer requysyte the hole boke
of the byble and that our welbeloued subiecte Wyllyam Seres of our cytie of london stacyoner and boke
seller hathe prepared hym selfe to his greate charges to prynte certayne sortes of a primer extracted oute of
oure saide boke of common prayer fytte to be vsed pryuatelie as chyldern and dyuers others our subiectes
beyng not the mynystres or curates of churches shall haue from tyme to tyme occasyon to occupye
Therfore of our grace especiall certayne science and mere mocion we haue graunted and gyuen priuilege
and by thies presentes doo graunte and gyue priuilege and lycence to our saide subiecte Wyllyam Seres
and to his assignes for and durynge the tyme and space of sixe yeares nexte ensueng the date herof
to prynte or cause to be imprynted all manner of bokes of priuate prayers called and vsually taken and
reputed for primers bothe in greate volumes and smale whiche arre and shalbe sette fourthe agreagle [sic]
and accordynge to the boke of Commen prayers establyshed by vs in oure highe Courte of parlyamente
any other priuilege or lycence to the contrary notwithstandynge And forthermore our mynde and
pleasure is that the same Wyllyam Seres and his assignes shall and maye haue the only pryntynge
from tyme to tyme of the same primers durynge the tyme aforesaide in all kyndes of volumes straictlie
forbyddyng by thies presentes all and singuler our subiectes aswell prynters and boke sellers as all
other persones what soeuer they be to prynte vtter or sell or cause to be ymprynted vttered or solde
within this our Realme or anie other our domynyons anye other sortes or ympressyons of prymers
or daylye prayers but only suche as shalbe ymprynted by the said Wyllyam Seres or his assignes
accordynge to the true meanynge of this our presente lycence and priuilege vppon payne that euerye
offendoure therin shall forfayte to oure vse all suche sorte of primers whersoeuer they be founde
wherfore we woll and commaunde all our Officers and subiectes as they tendre our fauoure and wyll
auoide our dyspleasure that they and euery of theyme if nede require doo ayde and assyste the said said Wyllyam
Seres and his assignes in the due execucion of this our lycence. Prouyded allwayes that the said
Wyllyam Seres shall before they begyn to prynte anie of the saide bokes presente a copie therof to be
allowed and approued eyther by the lordes and others of our pryuye Counsaill or by the lorde Chauncellor
for the tyme beynge or by our foure ordynary Chaplens or anie two of theym and whan the same is or
shalbe from tyme to tyme prynted that eyther by the said lordes and others of our pryvy Counsayll
or by the lorde Chauncellour or withe thaduyse had of the wardens of the said occupacyon the reasonable
price therof be sette aswell in leaues as beynge bounde in paste or bourde in lyne maner as is expressed in
the ende of oure boke of Commen prayers. In witnes &c T R apud Westm vj die Marcij
per bre de priuato sigillo &c


    

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